Destination: Queenstown

You might wonder why it’s taken me so long to visit Queenstown, particularly given it’s only a 3 hour flight from Sydney. I think it’s because I’ve always believed that while I’m young, fit and able to cope with long distance travel, I should be concentrating on Europe and North America. In hindsight, this is completely wrong because ideally Queenstown should be seen and experienced while you’re able to embrace every adventure it offers. And there are many.

I had taken an early flight to make the most of my time off and my friends Judy and Jeff collected me from the airport. Judy is originally from a town an hour outside of Dunedin, but she has lived in the US since meeting Jeff while attending college in the States. Their main home is in Wyoming, but they also have a cottage in NZ where they spend time every year to avoid the brutal Wyoming winters.

Judy and I bought tickets for the TSS Earnslaw cruise on Lake Wakatipu, which takes in some gorgeous scenery including The Remarkables. It’s an historic coal-fired steamship complete with beautiful timber detailing and a pianist tinkling the ivories. The round trip takes 90 minutes and the boat stops at the Walter Peak High Country Farm where you can go horse riding, cycling, tour the farm or just sit back and relax over a BBQ lunch or dinner.

Next on the agenda was dinner at the pub on the wharf, cleverly named Pub on Wharf. I decided to buy local so tried out a delicious lamb rump washed down with an excellent Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.